100 Books Like Versality

I knew the film Blade Runner before I read this, the novel upon which it's based, but I was not prepared for the richer complexities of the novel.

My favorite parts of the novel, a bizarre new religion and the extinction of all but human and animal life, barely make it into the film. Even the androids, built to be slaves, are much more nuanced and complex than in the film. I loved the conclusion of the book, which affirms the beauty of life, both natural and mechanical.

I’m going old-school, back to one of the grandfathers of science fiction, Robert Heinlein.

Not only is his book a masterful example of character-driven storytelling, but it takes a critical eye to many of the things our current society takes for granted as being “true” and “right,” finding them wanting. It’s also been a huge influence on me in my writing, as have many of Heinlein’s other works, and I couldn’t not put it in here.

This collection of robot-themed short stories is the overspill from Asimov’s more famous I, Robot, but I think it contains some of his better ones. It includes Satisfaction Guaranteed, which provided part of the inspiration for my book. Key to the book’s appeal to me when I first read it as a teenager was the way several of the stories show the human side of steely spinster robopsychologist Dr. Susan Calvin. I wanted to be her at age 14! My persistent favourite was Asimov’s favourite too, Galley Slave, about a proofreading robot; perhaps the reason for both of us is because it so obviously draws on his insider knowledge of book production.

This book attracted my attention when it was new and I was a teenager, although I only actually read it many years later; the female roboticist central character with a hint of impetuosity and romance appeared to offer an alternative role model to Isaac Asimov’s Susan Calvin. Sheila MacLeod is a literary author, not a regular SF author, and she imagines a mildly dystopic near-future in which humanoid robots are being taught to have sensibilities by reading romantic literature, from the great to the trashy. I was both intrigued and amused by her portrayal of how a machine mind might relate to such literature, and how such machines might conduct themselves when they become more empowered in their personal choices.

A fantastic, non-techy read that cuts through the AI fear-mongering in a way that is both hopeful and practical. 

The authors work well together to craft a story of how we arrived at this point in time, where our ever-evolving research could lead us, and the practical solutions needed to enable us to move forward in a world governed by the complex and rapidly changing landscape of AI.

As I write these lines, artificial intelligence (AI) is getting a lot of attention.

This is largely due to ChatGpt recently bursting onto the scene. But even before ChatGpt began making its mark, AI was often in the news. Some have expressed worry that it will take our jobs, others that it will reinforce systemic oppression by making racially or otherwise discriminatory decisions, and some have even voiced concerns that one day a superintelligent AI might pose an existential threat to humanity.

In the midst of all this, what might get lost is what AI is, what it's capable of doing, and what its limitations are. Wenger's book is intended to address all of these questions. It manages to do so in a way which goes into some of the mathematics of AI systems and yet remain accessible to a lay audience.

After laying out the technical aspects of AI,… show more.

The classic of classics, 2001: A Space Odyssey, offers a setting that could well be a reality in just a few years. The story begins long ago when alien intelligence leaves a marker for the apes that inhabit the Earth. The only problem is this marker is on the moon. But when humans are finally smart enough to discover it, it sends a signal to Jupiter. One of the inferences in the sequels to 2001 is that the alien intelligence itself is artificial—the product of a race that has delegated control and development of the galaxy to machines.  

To pursue man's destiny, the mission to Jupiter must be placed in the care of the HAL 9000 computer. HAL is presented as the perfect mimic of human emotions and the ideal caretaker of its human cargo. But to carry out its mission, HAL must do something it can't. It must… show more.

I actually hugged this book after finishing it! Finally, finally, someone explained GenAI in a way that made my heart race with possibility!

I've been working in tech for years, but this book had me scribbling notes like a possessed person. Every chapter felt like unwrapping a present—I kept running to my partner, saying, "Listen to this!"

While it’s not the newest tech, I love that it covers the essential groundwork that sparked the modern AI revolution. I personally think its perfect for engineers and data scientists. It's also a great precursor to my book, giving you the strong foundation you need before diving into the next wave of AI advancements.

I loved this book with its mix of AI, murder, and mystery. It's about 'accidents' that seem to happen to anyone going against the creator of a predictive AI that they say will be able to anticipate human behaviour.

I liked the fact lots of things happen behind the scenes. An ex-staff member and former coder aims to get to the bottom of it. It looks at the 'what ifs' and throws up the corruption that can happen if there is no strict monitoring in the development of AI. 

Again, I feel it brings up the concerns we humans have of the people who will design, build, and operate Artificial Intelligence, and for me, I would want to know who is checking what these companies are actually creating? And who checks the checker...?